Insulated door structures for refrigerator trucks



Dec. 25, 1956 R. P. MANsMANN 2,774,999

INSULATED DOOR STRUCTURES FOR REFRIGERATOR TRUCKS Filed NOV. 19. 1952 1N VEN TOR.

United Sttes Patent O INSULATED DOOR STRUCTURES FOR REFRIGERATOR TRUCKS Raymond P. Mansmann, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Application November 19, 1952, Serial No. 321,483

1 Claim. (Cl. 2lb-35) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in insulated doors for refrigerator structures, more particularly for use in refrigerator vehicle bodies on trucks.

It is among the objects of the invention to provide an insulated door of a construction which will withstand the rugged service to which it is placed.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a door with special reinforcing members for the hinges and latches.

It is still a further object of the invention to provide a composite door structure of metal and insulating materials in which the metal portion is formed as an integral seamless structure that houses the insulating member.

The invention will become more apparent from a consideration of the accompanying drawing, constituting a part hereof, in which like reference characters designate like parts, and in which Fig. 1 is a top plan View of a composite door structure embodying the principles of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the door of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section through the door taken along the line 4-4, Fig. l;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of an enlarged detail of the corner taken on the line 5-5, Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the door corner; and

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 7-7, Fig. 6.

With reference to the several figures of the drawing, the numeral 1 designates a sheet metal door frame which is shown in the cross section of Figure 7 as au integral member and which is cut away at the corners as shown at 2 to permit folding over for the purpose of obtaining an integral face and lip construction, as shown in Fig. 7. A corner angle member 3 is spot welded to the frame as shown in Figs. 6 and 7 and a corner gusset 4, Fig. 7, i's similarly welded as shown at 5, Fig. 6. The strong construction thus afforded is further reinforced by channels 6, Figures l, 3 and 4, and at the left-hand side of the door, as viewed in Figure l, reinforcing plates 7 and 7 are provided in the top and bottom channels 6. A si`rnilar reinforcing plate 8 is provided at the right-hand side of the door in the central channel 6. The plates 7 and 7 "lee constituting anchorages for hinges by which the door is mounted, and the plate 8 constituting a support for the latch mechanism.

As shown i'n Figures 2, 3 and 4, the body of the door is constructed of an inner face member 9 having an integral flange 9a and a reinforcing angle member 9b secured thereto by welding. The inner face member is spaced from the outer face member by corner angle bars 10 which also act as reinforcing, the angle bars being fastened to the flange of the door frame 1 and to the flange 9a of the inner face member. Insulating strips, such as Masonite 9c, are secured to the angle bars 10 by riveting as shown at 10a and 10b to form a hollow box-like member which is filled with insulating material such as fiber glass, rock wool or cork to provide the necessary insulation for the refrigerated chamber of the body to which the door is applied.

Figure 5 shows the detailed construction of the Masonite material. lt also shows a hold-down bar 12 fastened by metal screws 13 through a narrow gasket 14.

It is evident from the foregoing description of the invention that insulated refrigerator truck body doors made in accordance therewith provide strong, durable construction of the door frame with the insulated parts adequately supported and with special reinforcing for the hinge and latch members. Such a door when properly packed with insulation, such as glass iber or other suitable material, will electively insulate the refrigerator chamber of the vehicle.

Although one embodiment of the invention has been herein illustrated and described, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that various modiications may be made in the details of construction without departing from the principles herein set forth.

I claim:

In a refrigerator door, a pair of sheet metal members spaced to constitute an inner and outer Wall for the door, the outer Wall having a lip and llange formed integrally therewith the flange construction having cut out corner portions joined by corner gussets and having corner reinforcing angle members, channels disposed between the lip and the facing extendingthe Width of the door and having hinge and latch reinforcing plates disposed therein and secured thereto, the inner wall having a flange extending in the direction of the flange of the outer wall, angle bars joined to the juxtaposed flanges of the inner and outer wall members constituting spacers and reinforcing for the door, and sheet insulating material secured to the llanges of the inner and outer door facings and connecting angle bars to form a housing for receiving insulating material.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 962,174 Stevenson June 21, 1910 2,328,467 La Casse Aug. 31, 1943 2,347,090 Drake Apr. 18, 1944 

